APPS

It's that time again, when despite nearly four years' reminding ourselves why England won't win the World Cup, the football-loving bits of the country tip headlong into delusion once more. Some handy context to help you cling on to your pessimism may come with this, an app telling the last 60 years of England's World Cup history.iPhone / iPad

Not binge-watched your way through the second series of Orange Is The New Black yet? Lightweight... Released on 6 June by Netflix, which commissioned the prison drama, it also has an official app for iOS that "lets you be Alex's little spoon, rock a sweet pornstache and show your love for your favourite Litchfield ladies". Which translates as a neat promotional photo-sharing app.iPhone

This is the new app from the New York Times, promising to gather "the world's most compelling opinions all in one place". Well, the ones published in the New York Times, obviously, plus a curated feed of views from other publications. It's free to download with up to 10 articles a month viewable, then it charges £3.99 a month for full access. Full details from The Guardian's longer piece here.iPhone

"Modio enables anyone to build, modify and 3D print amazing models using a desktop 3D printer," explains the App Store listing for this. Which means everyone without access to a desktop 3D printer – i.e. most of us – will have to content ourselves with the building part. Even so, Modio is both powerful and fun to use, with a range of parts to slot together to make your own characters.iPad

Going to the Glastonbury Festival later this month? As ever, there's an official app for that – like last year, this comes from sponsor EE. Expect stage times and a schedule-planning feature, live streaming from the BBC, and maps of the festival site. And this being 2014, rest assured there'll be charging points to ensure you can use the app beyond lunchtime on day one.iPhone

Mmm... tapas. This app from book publisher Random House has been made based on recipes from London restaurant Morito, with 24 to try and some sumptuous food photography to whet your appetite. Timer and shopping list features make it useful when planning and cooking meals, while the step-by-step instructions are clear and helpful.iPhone / iPad

Something to make music fans of a certain age (i.e. an old one) feel old: grunge band Soundgarden's 'Superunknown' album is 20 years old. To celebrate, it's getting this new app, which plays the remastered version of the album in DTS Headphone:X sound. What's that? 11.1 surround sound from regular headphones, apparently. But you do need to buy the actual album to get a code to unlock the full app.iPhone

The latest social networking niche is here: a "mobile social network for pregnant women" – essentially an app to complement whatever social networks mums-to-be have in the real world (from friends to NCT groups). Preggie promises to help you see what people near you are chatting about, answer questions and generally get support.iPhone

This is a smart educational app for children from 5-14 about the human body's respiratory and circulation systems. They can get a close-up look at diagrams of the heart and lungs, experiment in six virtual labs, and take practice tests to answer questions on what they've learned. It follows similar apps on bones and digestion from developer Isygames.iPad

Another children's app, this time from Ravensburger. Pitched as "an exciting mathematical puzzle for all who love numbers games", it may appeal to parents as well. The app tasks you with connecting numbers to reach a specific total, scoring you on your abilities. Two modes – one with answers up to 20 and one up to 89 – should suit children of varying abilities.iPhone / iPad

BONUS CONTENT

I didn't want to deprive someone else's app of one of the 20 slots in this week's roundup, so as an extra, check out the just-relaunched Guardian app. It's been completely reworked with an adaptive design across smartphones and tablets, with the GuardianWitness platform now integrated to help readers submit their own photos, videos and text. There's plenty of personalisation too, with fully-tweakable homescreen and notifications. Read the full story here.

GAMES

As the comments section to the full review of Bubble Witch Saga 2showed, its publisher King has plenty of critics, angry at its appropriation of existing games (Puzzle Bobble in this case) and the way it pushes in-app purchases. The flipside of this: there are a lot of people who loved Candy Crush Saga, and are enjoying this follow-up: 4.5 stars out of five in the App Store reviews so far. The Marmite of the mobile gaming world, then, but you probably already know which side you belong to.iPhone / iPad

As a teenager, I wasted countless hours trying to master the jousting section in a game called Defender of the Crown (which, naturally, is now available on iOS too). Rival Knights is a thoroughly 2014 reworking of the idea though: a console-style game that sees you unlocking and upgrading horses, weapons and armour, and battling other players over the network.iPhone / iPad

I can't get enough of the pocket-sized simulation games from developer Kairosoft, even when they're essentially the same game with a different setting. In Pocket Harvest's case, that's farming, as you grow and sell crops, rear animals and indulge in tourism on the side. And if farming isn't your bag, check out Kairosoft's takes on football, mall management and even games development among other topics.iPhone / iPad

Just in time for the World Cup comes this new football-themed version of Who Wants To Be a Millionaire, with 500 questions and a structure well known from the TV show. In-app purchases are used here too: initially for a new 'Ask The Saviour' lifeline when you're stuck, but there'll also be new question packs to buy.iPhone / iPad

This is the latest mobile roleplaying game from Japanese publisher DeNA: waves of monsters, lots of loot and the ability to recruit your friends to fight with your party as you go. It looks very good, although as with all games like this, its long-term fun will depend on how the developer supports it with new content over the coming months.iPhone / iPad

More football, but this time from Cartoon Network. It's a five-a-side sim starring some of the channel's most popular characters from shows including Adventure Time, Regular Show and Ben 10: Omniverse. Power-shots, online multiplayer and spiffing visuals make it worth a look for children and parents alike.iPhone / iPad

Billed as "Advance Wars meets Metal Slug", there should be something here for experienced gamers. It's a strategy game that sees you building troops and resources to take part in turn-based battles, including online against other players. Early indications are that it's very fun, although time will tell how the in-app purchase element affects the gameplay.iPhone / iPad

The time management genre applied to being a mechanic, here, as you send cars round the garage fast enough to avoid annoying their impatient owners, balancing the different jobs on hand and avoiding collisions.iPhone / iPad

Finally, a relaxing puzzle game to play, with an 80s soundtrack and lots of glowing neon graphics. The gameplay involves matching tiles, with a time-based Panic Mode complemented nicely by a more zen Casual Mode. 10 levels are free, then a single in-app purchase unlocks the rest of the game.iPhone / iPad

And one more children's app this week: Kiwaka, which turns its attention upwards to the stars. It's part lesson and part game, really: kids catch fireflies in the game part to reveal stars, then learn about the myths behind those constellations. It's accompanied by a separate storybook app too, with the European Space Agency involved to ensure scientific accuracy.iPhone / iPad

Those are our picks, but what have you been enjoying on iOS this week? Post your recommendations (or feedback on these) in the comments section.

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